HUDDERSFIELD Royal Infirmary has been given the "green light" - a top rating - for its cleanliness.

HUDDERSFIELD Royal Infirmary has been given the "green light" - a top rating - for its cleanliness.

And the hospital has also been praised for its food in a national survey out today.

Standards of cleanliness and food at the Infirmary are in the top 35% in the country according to inspection results published today by the Department of Health.

The Infirmary was inspected by a Patient Environment Action Team (Peat) in April, 2003. The inspectors - drawn from NHS managers, nurses, patient and patient representative organisations and the public - assessed cleanliness and food at the hospital.

The scores were then summarised in the form of traffic lights, with the Infirmary receiving a green light for both cleanliness and food.

Under the traffic light system, a green score denotes very high standards, which almost always meet patient expectations, amber denotes acceptable standards which have room for improvement and red denotes poor standards in need of urgent improvement.

Keith Seymour, associate director of operations and facilities, said: "These results show we have made significant progress in providing patients at the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary with high quality food in clean surroundings.

"For the hospital to be in the top 35% in the country is a real accolade for the continued hard work and dedication of our cleaning and catering staff who must be commended."

The Commission for Health Improvement's Patient Survey Results recently showed that 85% of patients surveyed about the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust were happy with the cleanliness of the accident and emergency departments at the Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax.

The survey also found that 90% were happy with the cleanliness of the outpatients' departments at both hospitals.